Elemental (English Version)
by KovatePrivalski97
Summary: Scarlett had a unique power that made her different and special. She thought she would never meet anyone like her. Until she met Max, and with him, a world she never imagined. / AU. Scax (Scarlett / Max) Cover by Ringo-Tensai. Thanks!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Total Drama series doesn't belong to me but to Jennifer Perth and Tom McGill. I write for fun, not for money and blah, blah, blah ...

Summary: Scarlett had a unique power that made her different and special. She thought she would never meet anyone like her. Until she met Max, and with him, a world she never imagined. / AU. Scax (Scarlett / Max)

Warning: English isn't my first language. It's Spanish. If you notice any grammatical error or something like that, please let me know. Thank you!

* * *

Prologue

* * *

It was typical.

It seemed that her parents would agree among themselves to move to another city, right when she increasingly beginning to get used to the present one.

There was no other explanation. Why otherwise would this be her second moving of the year, and the eleventh of her life?

She sighed heavily, snuggling at the bus seat, almost in the fetal position. She could not say she was nervous, because after being at the same situation so many times, she was used to it.

It was always the same feeling, the feeling of not belonging. She was also used to that, but that didn't make it bother her any less.

She lazily watched the raindrops sliding down the window, almost playing a race, which was won by the plumper one.

Scarlett hated rainy days. In them, she felt terribly weak. Not wanting to move. Not wanting anything.

Her parents and older brother believed that this was because the rain had a negative effect on her mood. They were wrong, but not much.

No, she didn't like rain. The only good thing it had was the delicious smell of wet earth that left when it stopped. Scarlett loved that smell, almost as much as he loved the smell of a new book, or a strawberry-scented shampoo.

Rain didn't affect her mood that much. It affected her vitality, and took it all away.

And it was difficult for someone who can create fire with her hands supporting thousands of droplets spreading through every crevice of skin that was found.

At first, Scarlett thought everyone was like her. She thought everyone could turn a mountain of autumn leaves into fire. She thought she was normal.

But over the years, she realized that she wasn't. She realized that this would be frowned upon by others, the result of envy or fear. Over the years, Scarlett grew.

And growing up, she learned to hide what made her different. She never thought about bringing out flames from her fingers, as if they were tiny and delicate torches. Because if she thought about it, it happened. And if it happened... she was lost.

She focused on things that could distract her. She discovered the pleasure of reading, and the ability of a book transport her to other worlds, worlds that she would never meet if it weren't for them.

She also devoted her time to her studies, desperate to excel in anything but her strange condition. A silent way to hide further into the depths of her soul, that which tormented her.

She straightened a bit to realize that she was reaching her destination. Pahkitew High. According to her mother, it had the best recommendations, the study programs were promising... and they couldn't get any better so quickly.

She got off the bus after pushing several people along the way. She had kindly requested permission several times, and nobody turned away, so she prepared to deliver some pushing. She simply didn't care about the complaints and insults she received.

She barely touched the pavement with her black flat shoes, and she looked up to admire the huge building that stood before her.

"Pahkitew High.

Education, education, and nothing but education. "

That was what prayed the ornate marble wall at the entrance. Scarlett pursed her lips. With that motto, she honestly expected the opposite.

She leaned her backpack on her shoulder and sighed. After hiding a rebellious lock of red hair behind her right ear, she walked to the front door, rejecting the idea to turn around and run away, as far as her legs would allow her.

She stretched her arm to push the door and enter, but someone pulled it before. A couple of teenagers ran off, one of them pushing her in the process, probably unintentionally. Scarlett struggled to maintain balance, and when she did, she refrained from shouting a couple of expletives to enter once.

The place looked even more spacious inside. Elegantly lined lockers in continuous rows, and several students were distributed around the hall.

Scarlett knew she had to find her locker, so she took out of her backpack a little map of that gigantic place. She started walking, pretty sure that she looked like a dizzy duck, searching everywhere all the time, looking for its mother.

She walked through a few corridors, doubling in some corners, and retreating in others. She frowned, mentally blaming her silly map. Shouldn't it be simple and easy to read? More than a guide through a high school, it looked like a treasure map.

"Huh... excuse me?"

Scarlett jumped a little and turned sharply. She saw a girl in front of her, a small conciliatory smile on her lips. Her features were oriental, but her skin was a little bit darker. Her beautiful red feather earrings caught her attention.

"Hey," greeted the girl softly, tilting her head slightly to the right. "You're new here, right?"

The redhead nodded slightly, making her interlocutor' smile widen.

"I figured. My name is Sky," she said, holding out a hand she shook briefly. "And you are...?"

"Scarlett."

"Oh. Nice name. Will you let me help you?"

Scarlett hesitated a moment, but handed her the map, where indicated with blue ink from her pen where it was supposed to be her locker. Sky smiled.

"It's the other way around... Come with me, I'll guide you," she offered, and without saying anything else she started walking in the right direction

The redhead decided to follow her, adjusting her glasses, which were sliding down her nose. Silently, she returned through corridors recognizing some of them.

Sky finally stopped, facing the locker she recognized as hers for a black number painted on copper.

"Here it is."

"Thank you" she kindly replied, taking back the map that the girl returned to her, and prepared to open her locker

While putting her books on place within the limited space, she couldn't help feeling observed. She could almost swear that Sky hadn't moved from there and it was confirmed she saw her change her position, or, to be visible.

"So, what is your classroom?" she asked, watching her finish their work

"It's the classroom 5-B" she whispered, finally closing the locker

"Oh, no way. It's also mine!"

Scarlett struggled to form a smile, but she felt that she had only managed to show a face. Sky, meanwhile, laughed a little.

She made a slight sign with her hand, indicating tacitly to follow. Scarlett wasn't very used to follow strangers, but knowing that she would never reach the room on her own, she had no choice.

She followed her elegant steps, fiddling with the sleeves of her yellow sweater. With surprise, she saw her stop in front of an open door, and depart to let her pass first in a slightly mocking gesture.

Upon entering, Scarlett saw that the atmosphere inside that room was relaxed and laid back. The chairs scattered everywhere, and students were happy to sit wherever they wanted. Scarlett had never seen such a display of disorder in a classroom.

Timidly she sought a seat, but Sky took her arm gently to guide her to a seat next to hers. Scarlett suppressed a grin, but finally sat there. 'So what?' she thought.

She looked around, watching without much interest the picturesque variety of students around.

There were twin blondes, who despite being identical, they looked different in their cheerleading uniforms, but when trying to identify more people she heard the door opened suddenly, and she saw a smiling man entering, capturing her attention.

He was dressed casually, nor had shaved. He had an incipient beard, and his raven hair was somewhat disheveled.

"Good morning, good morning" he said in the form of a cheerful tune, receiving greetings from his regular students

He laughed at their enthusiasm, and sat casually on his mahogany desk. Scarlett could feel his gaze on her, and looked away, embarrassed.

"Why, it seems we have a new student" he announced, and as it was a trigger, all eyes turned toward her. "I'm Chris McLean, professor of this group. Your group."

The redhead nodded once, still embarrassed and uncomfortable being the center of attention. She could feel all the eyes on her, scrutinizing, like hundreds of needles piercing her skin. She didn't like that feeling.

"Why don't you stand up, and tell us a little about yourself?"

And that question, rather acted as an order from her teacher didn't improve her mood. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, even before those watchful eyes that followed her movements.

She stood up, fixing her eyes on a nonexistent point in front of her.

"My name is Scarlett, and this is the third... wait, no, the fourth high school to which I attend" she summed dully, concentrating her efforts on not begin to wring her hands. "Most likely I'll have to move in a few months, but if I have luck, I will finish this course here. Depends on my parents. So... don't get used to my presence."

"Wind, earth, water or fire?"

Hearing that voice, something scratchy and contemptuous, her gaze sought the author of that question. She found a boy sitting at the back of the room, completely away from others. What most struck her, besides his pale skin, was his strident purple hair. No one was born with that hair color, she told herself. It was a dye, and a quality one.

She watched him questioningly, receiving from him a blank stare, and still waiting for a response from her.

Scarlett hesitated. She didn't know what he meant by that question. Or she didn't want to know. Still, what were the chances that plump and short boy knew her secret, which not even her family could imagine? Absolutely none.

"Fire" she said then, sure enough, and just to give an answer

She saw the boy into a crooked little smile, and nodded once.

"I thought so."

After that, she heard some murmurs among their peers, and assumed that they were wondering what the hell they were talking about. She then heard the deafening sound of a horn, and turned her eyes forward, toward the professor holding the object in his hand with a small smile.

"Take a seat, Scarlett" he granted, nodding in her direction. "And don't listen to Max. He's weird."

She obeyed, listening to the boy named Max snort, as disproving the words of his teacher. Sky gave a gentle squeeze to her arm, calling attention, so she could see the friendly smile she offered.

She struggled to return the gesture as best as she could.

"Well, guys, get your Algebra books" ordered Professor McLean, leaving the horn on his desk and standing, taking a black marker. "We will review equations, nothing too difficult, but according to the last month's test, you are terrible in this..."

Scarlett took her book from her backpack slowly, and her fellow classmate showed the indicated page. While trying to pay attention, she heard some murmurs nearby.

"Fire ..." whispered one of the blonde twins, with a little smile

"Calm down, Samey" ordered her sister with an authoritative tone. "Surely she's better than you."

The redhead frowned a little frown upon hearing that, but decided not to pay more attention. She had to concentrate in class, to get excellent grades from the very first day.

However, her gaze couldn't help looking back to the guy that asked that disturbing question.

She noticed that he was also looking at her with the same intensity as before, inquisitor and curious. She looked away, embarrassed.

Max was weird.

* * *

Hi!

Yep, new fic.

Now, let's clarify some important points. This story shares its main idea with El Tesoro Perdido de Pahkitew (The Lost Treasure of Pahkitew), by the great Umeki-Nara, but both have completely different plots. Some characters have some similarities (?), you'll understand when reading, and that is because we planned some things together.

You'll see that the stories have almost no connection between them. Still, read El Tesoro Perdido de Pahkitew, if you understand Spanish, because it promises a lot. And it's fantastic as everything Umeki-sama writes *O*

Those who know me know that I need to answer every review I receive. Those who don't know me, well now you know.

If you liked it, you can leave a review. And if you didn't like, you can leave a review too. Constructive criticism is highly accepted and encouraged.

I think that's it.

Read you soon!

* * *

_-*-_-*-_KovatePrivalski97._-*-_-*-_


	2. 1

Disclaimer: Total Drama series doesn't belong to me but to Jennifer Perth and Tom McGill. I write for fun, not for money and blah, blah, blah ...

Summary: Scarlett had a unique power that made her different and special. She thought she would never meet anyone like her. Until she met Max, and with him, a world she never imagined. / AU. Scax (Scarlett / Max)

Warning: English isn't my first language. It's Spanish. If you notice any grammatical error or something like that, please let me know. Thank you!

* * *

1

* * *

Her first day of school wasn't much stranger than that.

The equations seemed cakewalk for her, resolving them all in a span of less time than it took the teacher in correcting them.

Thanks to that, she won suspicious looks from some of her classmates, and exclamations of admiration from the teacher, and Sky.

Sky, who now accompanied her on her trip back home. Looked at her, and saw her fiddling with one of her bracelets, absently.

Scarlett turned her sight to the city that was fading before her eyes. She knew that when she got home, she should feed her turtle, do her homework, wait for her parents and tell them how was her day.

She didn't really like that last part.

She had no idea what to say, but she never really knew what to say in front of them. They spent so little time at home, both focused on their work, which was very similar to live with a couple of strangers.

And so, the simple question 'How was your day?' was transformed into a philosophical question like "What's the meaning of life?"

Scarlett didn't know what to answer to any of those questions.

She heard as a distant echo Sky's voice, and waved her right hand in farewell. Again she was alone in the bus seat. She thought about taking a brief nap, but she knew that would reach her destination soon.

She straightened, fighting her eyelids so they didn't close. If she got lost in that unfamiliar and new city, she would go into a panic. And that didn't seem like a good idea.

She recognized some buildings, that she remembered seeing on the way to high school. It was time to get off. She did so, and quietly walked a couple of blocks, addressing her home.

On the way, she had to hug herself, muttering an inaudible curse. A few raindrops fell on her face, and ran on her left cheek. Rain was coming, threatening her again.

She tried to hasten her steps, and even was tempted to run, only to stop feeling these liquid needles piercing her body mercilessly. Recognizing the front of her newly purchased house, she sighed. Just in time.

She hurried, and as she closed the door behind her, she heard voices in the kitchen and smelled a strong sauce aroma. She grimaced. Her parents had arrived earlier than expected, and her order of tasks changed drastically.

She came to the origin of the voices, and stood in the doorway. Her father, wearing a gingham apron, was devoutly cooking while her mother sat at the dining table, she greeted with a warm smile.

"Honey, you're finally here" she said, indicating a chair in front of her to take a seat. "How was your day?"

'What's the meaning of life?' Scarlett heard.

Sighing, she dropped her backpack beside her, and went to the indicated chair. She watched her hands carefully, as if they sought the answer to that question.

"It was okay" she muttered after a few minutes, looking up to the sweet expression on her mother. "Normal, mother."

"Did you make friends?" questioned her father, but soon received a small blow by his wife

"Joseph!"

Scarlett formed an almost mocking smile at that dialogue. Her parents knew of her difficulty socializing with people, but for some reason, her mother was more sensitive to that. Scarlett considered it something completely unnecessary.

"I'm sorry, I..."

"Actually, I did make a friend" muttered the girl suddenly, without really knowing why. "I need to feed Albert. If you excuse me..."

She rose from her seat, without waiting for any of them to try to stop her. And they didn't. She picked up her backpack from the ground, and went to her room.

She climbed the steps to the second floor slowly, as if her feet asked each other authorization to move.

Reaching her room, she entered without much encouragement, and went straight to bed, where she fell rendered. She buried her face in her pillow, letting out a drowned sigh from her lips.

Then she remembered Albert, her eleven years old young turtle. So she forced herself to get up and get moving.

She doubted she could sleep.

* * *

Classes were quite easy for her to understand. She realized that her old high school had a more advanced study program, and so it was easier to adapt.

And stand out.

It wasn't her intention, actually. She just couldn't resist the urge to randomly raise her hand every time she knew the answer to any question.

It was almost one week since her arrival to that classroom, and she had already won the brainiac stereotype. She didn't know if it was good or bad, so she decided to take it as a compliment.

She used to chat with Sky in the breaks, and also on the trip back home. But also, she used to have lunch alone. She preferred it that way, not to socialize much with her peers, or with anyone. Then, if her parents got another job in another state, she would have to leave. She didn't like that.

She was too distracted with her nose buried in an astronomy book, when she realized that someone had sat at her table, which usually only she used.

She slowly lowered the book and looked at the intruder. The weird guy in the purple dye, Max.

She watched him a moment, waiting for him to do or say something. But he didn't. He was just staring at her, as if he also expected something from her.

Finally, he smiled a little.

"Fire, huh?" he snapped then, resting his elbows on the table to look at her better. "Very interesting."

Scarlett swallowed, suddenly nervous. She thought that question from her first day had been in the past, and as the boy hadn't insisted again... it looked like she was wrong.

She closed her book and laid it on the table, sighing.

"Yes... I just said the first thing I thought" she tried to explain, shrugging. "And I don't quite understand what you meant. Neither what you mean now."

"Oh, yes, you understood. You understand."

She pursed her lips at his mocking tone, and couldn't help but cross her arms, a sign to say that she didn't want to have that conversation. She didn't want to talk about something so intimate with a stranger. Let alone with a stranger who acted if he knew her.

"I do not understand" she repeated cogging, only receiving a sly laugh as an answer

Max leaned a little closer to her, then lowered his voice to make it barely audible.

"You can continue in denial, if you want" he muttered, then glanced at the table where the rest of their peers were. "I thought you were different from them... what a disappointment."

Scarlett didn't know how to react to his contemptuous tone, and with a melancholy tinge. She felt confused, lost in several questions that echoed in her mind.

She wanted to talk, but she feared that her lips would just leave her babbling nonsense.

"What...?"

"You've never met others like us, right?" he interrupted, arching his eyebrows skeptically

Without knowing why, so automaton, Scarlett nodded. For the first time, she saw an almost friendly and sympathetic smile in that boy's face.

"Well, you've just met thirteen" he said, in a tone so calm and quiet, it sounded like a sinister lullaby. "They are like you... well, kinda, but... you know."

"I... I'm sorry but I cannot believe your words."

Max gave her a questioning look, and he even looked disappointed. He rose from his seat and sighed deeply.

"If I weren't saying the truth, how would I know your secret, without even knowing you?" he questioned, cautiously, then formes a crooked smile at her incredulously. "By the way... I am earth."

Scarlett watched him walk away from her without looking back, leaving the cafeteria in a lone wolf attitude. She couldn't look away from the road he had traveled.

She was lost in her own thoughts.

Was it possible that this guy was right? All of her classmates... were like her?

She couldn't help but look at their table. They all looked so happy and carefree, that she immediately doubted. To catch her eye, Sky smiled slightly, cradling her hand in her direction.

Scarlett returned the gesture, but she needed to get out. Fast.

She stood, gathering her things with unusual haste. She walked among the tables out of there too, and went to the ladies bathroom of that floor. She mentally thanked Sky for having shown her the way.

She entered there, and then turned on the faucet to refresh her face. She saw herself in the mirror, and her green eyes stared back. The girl in the mirror looked as confused as her.

She looked around to make sure she was completely alone. By check, she sighed with relief. She noticed his hands, that now were wet. She closed her eyes.

She imagined. She imagined flames dancing through her fingers, gently stroking her skin, like silent and deadly lovers. She imagined fire, her fire.

And when she opened her eyes, it was there.

The fire fondly embraced her hands, as if it had missed her for years, and finally returned to find her.

She couldn't help smiling unconsciously. That warm feeling that invaded her body, she found it to be new, but it wasn't. He had simply forgotten it, for concealing that long. For having hidden it even from herself.

But her smile faded as she raised her eyes to the mirror, and in addition to her reflection, she saw a girl with an amazed expression.

She turned quickly to look at her, terrified. She recognized her as one of the twin cheerleaders.

"I Knew it."

It was all she said.

Scarlett closed her eyes desperately, concentrating the maximum to make those flames dissappear, now that suddenly they became wilder because of her nervousness. When she stopped feeling the heat, she dared to open her eyes again.

The girl was still there. And to her dismay, she had a small smile on her face, and she showed to have some difficulty repressing a giggle.

"You too..." she whispered, trying to get closer, but the redhead stepped back a few steps. "I'm also f-fire..."

Scarlett stood still, paralyzed. She didn't know what to say or do, even how to react. She watched the blonde girl smile, and after a few seconds, weak flames appeared over her outstretched hands in her direction.

It was a dead fire, and sad too, you might say. It lacked strength, lacked color. But it was fire. In the hands of a girl she barely knew.

"My name is Sammy... but Amy says it's 'Samey'" she muttered, looking away, and instantly, the fire extinguished. "I never thought that... I would m-meet someone like..."

The redhead watched in amazement as Sammy wiped a tear trying to escape her orbs. She really seemed shaken, if not relieved.

"And now... there's you a-and... I'm so happy!"

Sammy cried inconsolably. Scarlett bit her lower lip, still not knowing what to do. Should she comfort her? Or just run away?

She decided to stay still and silent, hoping for her to calm down. And eventually she did, and dried saw the sea of tears that ran her cheeks.

"S-Sorry about that..." she apologized, sobbing a bit. "You probably think I'm a fool."

"I don't think so" explained Scarlett, finally finding words to say. "Actually... I did not expect to meet someone like me either. Max was right.

"Max? What did he say?"

The redhead hesitated again, but quickly shook her head, trying to think straight.

"He told me that all of you... are like this" she admitted, unconsciously lowering her voice, afraid that someone would hear her. "Is that true?"

Then it was turn of Sammy to get even more nervous than she already was. She began to wring her hands, sighing deeply.

"I don't know... until now I only know of Amy and me. Oh, and you" she said, wincing, and suddenly looked up curiously. "Is Max fire too?"

"No. He's earth... I think so" whispered the redhead, still quite doubtful of her own words. "Amy...?"

"Water. It fits her... she's always extinguishing me."

Scarlett couldn't help but frown at that. She had already noticed these behaviors, but hadn't given importance. Now, it seemed even more unfair.

"You are not alone anymore."

She didn't even realized what she said, the words escaped her lips on their own, reaching her interlocutor' suffered ears.

She saw Sammy smile shyly as she nodded, with another load of tears crowding in her celestial orbs.

"Do you think... that I can give you a hug?"

Although she hesitated a moment, Scarlett nodded. The blonde girl caught it right away, crying freely over her shoulder, then venting years of abuse.

Scarlett returned the hug, feeling certain empathy with her.

And although they barely knew each other, both were hiding a secret that they didn't plan to share with anyone else.

She realized that she was right.

They weren't alone anymore.

* * *

Hi!

Chapter 1 of this story. What do you think? I sincerely hope you like it.

If you don't mind, I will now answer your reviews.

Invaderzimdibfan: Thank you! I hope you like this chapter ;)

Madison Wooten: I'm flattered, thanks! You're welcome. Here's chapter 1, enjoy!

Guess that's all.

Read you soon!

* * *

_-*-_-*-_KovatePrivalski97._-*-_-*-_


End file.
